


3(+) Times Sophie Spied On Her Parents

by Blankfreeze1958



Category: Figure Skating RPF
Genre: Domestic, F/M, Family Feels, Fluff and Angst
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-08
Updated: 2020-08-06
Packaged: 2021-03-01 04:29:03
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,316
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23059282
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Blankfreeze1958/pseuds/Blankfreeze1958
Summary: This is written from the perspective of a child.I don't know why I wrote this - I just did and it needs somewhere to live so here!
Relationships: Scott Moir & Tessa Virtue, Scott Moir/Tessa Virtue
Comments: 35
Kudos: 113





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is written from the perspective of a child.  
> I don't know why I wrote this - I just did and it needs somewhere to live so here!

It had been hours since the sitter had put Sophie to bed. She'd slept for a short while, but then she'd woken and wondered if her parents were back yet. She didn't like when they went out without her. 

Sophie climbed out of bed and peered out her window to see into the driveway. She saw the sitter's car parked behind mummy's, but Sophie knew her parents had taken daddy's car. They were still out. 

Sophie huffed and climbed back into bed, watching the little stars on her nightlight dance around on the ceiling. Surely they'd be back soon. She glanced at the clock on her bedside table. Mummy had put it there to help her learn to tell time. Sophie could count up to 10 and she knew she was supposed to stay in bed until 6 on weekends.

Presently, the clock read "11:24". Sophie wasn't sure what that number meant, but it was bigger than 10 so she knew it had to be late at night.  
When the numbers on the clock got up to "11:43", Sophie saw headlights flash outside. She rushed to her window to see daddy's car pull in the drive.  
She did a happy little wiggle as she watched her beloved mummy and daddy climb out of daddy's car. 

Daddy went around to mummy's side to help her out even though she didn't need it. Sophie knew he called this "being a gentleman.” And sometimes it made mummy blush.

But then daddy pressed mummy up against the side of the car and kissed her. And it wasn't just an ordinary kiss. It was a loooooong kiss. Sophie had seen them kissing like that before, but only when they thought she wasn't looking. 

And then Sophie saw daddy's hands hold mummy's face as he kissed her. Sophie cocked her head she watched her parents.  
Daddy had his forehead pressed against mummy's, and Sophie thought he must be telling her a joke because she was smiling reeeally big. Sophie liked when mummy smiled that way.

Daddy brushed mummy's hair back and kissed her again, another loooooong kiss. This one was even longer.  
Eventually, her parents pulled away from each other and mummy held daddy's hand all the way into the house. 

Sophie was so excited to see her parents that she almost rushed out of her room, but she heard them talking to the sitter, Marie. Marie would be mad if Sophie was awake after her bedtime so she kept her nose pressed to the window until she saw Marie get into her car and drive away.  
Then, Sophie padded down the stairs and through the living room, looking for her parents. She heard mummy giggling and followed the sound. 

She was just about to step out into the kitchen when she heard music. It wasn't music that was familiar to Sophie, not what she normally listened to, though she had seen mummy and daddy dance to music like that before. She loved to watch them dance. 

When Sophie peered out from the doorway to the kitchen, mummy was laughing, smiling as big as Sophie had ever seen, and daddy was being silly, making faces and singing to mummy.  
He held her differently than other people she’d seen dancing, she liked to notice that about her parents. 

Daddy held mummy very gently, his hand simply cupped her back. He didn’t force her anywhere, he flowed with her movements. And when mummy turned In his arms and pressed her backside against him, daddy nuzzled her neck and then kissed her there, but still held her that same way - his hand grazing her just gently on her tummy.  
Daddy twirled mummy back around right on cue at a flourish in the music, and mummy moved her hips to the beat.  
Mummy was sooo pretty, Sophie thought. She was wearing a pale yellow dress with short sleeves and a little sash around her waist. She looked like princess Belle, or one of Sophie's dollies, and she could tell daddy thought so too because he wouldn't stop looking at her.

Daddy was pretty too. Sophie could tell he was very strong and he made her feel safe. Mummy looked back at him the same way he looked at her, and it made Sophie happy. 

And then daddy's hand was in mummy's hair and mummy's hands were on daddy's chest, and then they were kissing even though the music was still playing. And they didn't kiss like other people she'd seen. They kissed differently. They moved very very slowly, and daddy ran his hands all across mummy's back until she made a soft little sound. 

When daddy pulled away he was beaming, and he kissed her cheek a few times as he encircled her in his arms and pressed her back against the counter. Mummy laughed loudly after daddy whispered something in her ear, and Sophie smiled. She loved hearing mummy laugh, and nobody was better at making her laugh than daddy.

Daddy was playing with the sash on mummy's dress, maybe trying to untie it, but he was having trouble, which made mummy throw her head back and laugh. 

Daddy shook his head and laughed as well as he lifted mummy up and onto the counte, just like he sometimes lifted Sophie - under her arms. And Sophie giggled that daddy could do that with mummy too. He stood between mummy's legs and leaned against her to kiss her neck again.

This time mummy had her eyes closed, and her head tipped back, and her hand was in daddy's hair. Daddy kissed mummy a lot! On her lips and her cheeks and her neck and then her chest. He even pulled down her dress a little to kiss her lower. And mummy seemed very, very happy. Sophie was happy her daddy could make her mummy so happy. 

In fact, daddy had made mummy so happy that she made a little squealing noise just like she did when they had tickle fights.  
Daddy whispered something to mummy in a funny voice and mummy nodded and giggled.  
Daddy crouched down to where Sophie could only see the tippy top of his head over the breakfast bar. She tried to crane her neck to see what he was doing, but she must've been too obvious about it because mummy saw her. 

"Soph!" She exclaimed, whacking the top of daddy's head.  
There was no hitting, that was a rule, and Sophie normally would have reminded her mother of this, but she was too happy to see her parents to care. 

"Soph?" Daddy asked. He sounded worried as he sprung up and whipped around. 

Sophie giggled at how silly her parents were being. They were so surprised to see her there but this was her house too, where else would she be?

Daddy helped mummy down from the counter and Sophie giggled at that again. 

"Oh, baby, you're supposed to be sleeping!" Mummy said, scooping Sophie up and hugging her to her chest. 

"I hear you an’ daddy come home." Sophie said, ecstatic to be in her mother's arms. 

Mummy chuckled and kissed Sophie on the forehead. 

"I dance, too?" Sophie asked. 

"Well...." Mummy looked over at daddy who was turning red.  
"I'll dance with you, baby." She whispered. "Daddy needs some water.”

Mummy balanced Sophie on her hip and swayed her to the music.  
Sophie squealed and clapped and tried her best to watch how mummy moved so she could dance like her one day. 

"How long have you been up, Soph?" Mummy asked as the music slowed and she began to rock her gently. 

Sophie yawned. "Since clock said one one two four." Sophie said, trying to hold up enough fingers each time she mentioned a number.  
Mummy must've liked that because she laughed, and Sophie swelled with pride. 

"You're so smart." Mummy said, hoisting Sophie higher and kissing her cheek. 

"But smart brains like yours need their rest." Daddy chimed in, finally moving from his spot by the counter.  
"Just ask your mummy about that. Her smarty-pants brain needs soooo much sleep!" Daddy said in his monster voice as he wrapped both mummy and Sophie in a tight hug. 

Sophie squealed delightedly as she felt daddy squeeze them all together, and mummy giggled.  
Daddy kissed Sophie's forehead and then mummy's nose. 

"One more song!" Sophie begged.

Mummy and daddy looked at each other before daddy nodded. "One more.”

The three of them danced to a quiet song, with no words. Sophie had never heard it before but she liked the gentle music. She rested her head on mummy's shoulder and watched as mummy rested her head on daddy's.  
Sophie yawned once more before the gentle swaying rocked her to sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **warning: chapter vaguely infers a miscarriage

Sophie couldn’t sleep. She knew she shouldn’t be up so late. She knew her parents had told her she needed to stop getting out of bed in the middle of the night. And she’d tried counting sheep like daddy had suggested, but she could only go up to ten, and she didn’t feel sleepy.   
She decided to take her chances and go find mummy and daddy. 

When she finally found them, they were laying on the couch in the living room. Daddy had his back to Sophie, but she could see mummy’s face, and in the dim bluish glow cast by the muted television, Sophie could tell her mother had streaks of tears running down her cheeks.   
She froze in place, unable to remember another time when she’d seen her mother cry. She was her mother. She was invincible. How could anything make her cry?

But daddy seemed to know what to do to help mummy feel better.   
Daddy held her face in his hands. He smoothed his hand across her forehead and over her cheek and mummy's hands held onto his shirt. 

“Shh.” Sophie heard daddy whispering to mummy. “It’s alright, baby.” It sounded just like what he did to her when she was upset. 

Mummy made a really sad sound and Sophie felt hurt by it. She didn't want her mummy to feel that way.

"Does it still hurt?" Daddy asked.

Sophie's ears perked up. Mummy was hurt?

Mummy nodded and daddy hung his head.   
"I'm so sorry, T." He said. 

Sophie always thought it was silly when he called mummy 'T'. Mummy's name was 'Tessa' and Sophie was pretty sure there was more than just the letter 'T' in 'Tessa', but tonight it wasn't so funny. Not when mummy was hurting. 

"Right here?" Daddy asked, his hand on mummy's belly.   
Mummy nodded and daddy rubbed her belly the way he did for Sophie when she had a tummy ache. Poor mummy.   
Daddy kissed mummy lots of times on her lips and cheeks and nose and forehead, but mummy was still crying. 

"We'll try again." Daddy said, still rubbing mummy's belly. But those words didn't make mummy feel better, they made her cry harder. 

Sophie was dismayed as she waited for her father to fix it. Daddy always fixed when mummy was sad.

What would they try again? Did they lose a game and that's why mummy was crying? Mummy always told Sophie that even if losing a game made you sad, you don't have to cry because you can try again next time. And you should always be a good sport and say congratulations to the winner. 

Daddy tried but he didn't fix it.   
He hugged mummy really tight and whispered "I love you, Tess."   
And mummy made another sad sound and pressed her face into daddy's shoulder so it was harder to hear her.   
Sophie liked to use daddy's shoulder to cry on sometimes too. 

"Ok, baby. Shh. It’s ok.” Daddy rolled onto his back and pulled mummy with him so she was laying on his chest. Sophie had done that before too. It had made her feel better and she hoped it would help mummy too. 

Daddy rubbed mummy's back but mummy still cried. Sophie's little heart was breaking.

"Please, baby. Don't cry. It'll be ok, I promise. I’ve got you.” Daddy whispered.   
But mummy still didn’t stop crying. 

“Tess.” Daddy’s voice sounded broken as he ran a shaky hand through his own hair.   
Mummy looked up at daddy and her face was wet with tears that were still streaming from her eyes. 

“I’m just sad.” Mummy said quietly, simply, sniffling between her words. 

“I know.” Daddy said, his voice sounding shaky. “Me too, kiddo.”

And then it got even worse!

Daddy wrapped his arms reeeeally tight around mummy and pressed his face into her hair and he started to cry too.   
Sophie had seen daddy cry before, but daddy was confusing because he cried when he was happy… and he certainly wasn’t happy now. 

Mummy reached up and stroked daddy's hair the way she did for Sophie when she was upset only mummy was still crying as well. 

Sophie stood there watching her parents for a beat longer before bursting out in sobs herself. 

Her parents stilled for a moment before mummy lifted her head up from daddy’s chest and daddy turned his head to see her. 

“Hey, Princess.” Daddy said quietly, his hands flying to his face to wipe his tears away as mummy did the same. 

Mummy climbed off of daddy carefully, and daddy got up and lifted Sophie into his arms, his hand instinctively going to rub her back just as he’d done for mummy. 

“Oh, what’s wrong, Soph?” Daddy asked, sitting back down on the sofa and using his free arm to pull mummy against his chest. 

"Why you crying?" Sophie hiccuped, her big girl voice all but lost now that she was reduced to feeling the helplessness of her parent's sorrow. 

"Oh, sweetheart." Mummy cooed from beside her. 

Both her parents were rubbing her back now and Sophie felt a small amount of comfort at that. 

"Baby, we thought you were asleep. You shouldn't have seen that, I'm sorry, sweet girl." Mummy said.

But that hadn't answered Sophie's question. 

"Why?" Sophie asked, turning so that her emerald eyes met her mother's. 

Mummy wiped at her eyes then but it was no use. The tears kept falling.   
Sophie's bottom lip quivered and mummy held her arms out for her.   
Daddy helped mummy take Sophie but still kept his arms around both of them. 

“Oh, Mummy and daddy had a hard few days." Mummy sighed. "I got really sad and daddy wanted to help me feel better but then he got sad too and now we’ve made you sad, baby girl.” She kissed Sophie’s cheek. 

"Why you sad?" Sophie asked. 

Mummy looked up at daddy who pressed a kiss to her forehead. Mummy shut her eyes tight then as more tears escaped her eyes. She took a shaky breath.   
"We love you so, so very much, Sophie." She said. "You're our little baby girl and you make us so happy and so proud-" Mummy's voice faltered and daddy rubbed her back and then squeezed her shoulder. 

Mummy held Sophie closer to her body so that Sophie couldn't see her face. But she did hear mummy whisper, "Scott." And felt her shake her head. 

Daddy whispered. "Ok." And mummy turned Sophie around, holding her from behind so she was looking up at her father. 

Daddy smiled softly at Sophie and ran his hand through her hair as she felt mummy's lips on the back of her head.

"We want to give you a little brother or sister, Soph. It's just harder than we thought." Daddy said. 

"I be a big sister?" She asked, excitedly. 

"One day, we hope.” Daddy said, brushing his hand over her cheek.   
"Would you like that Soph?" He asked, already knowing the answer. 

Sophie nodded furiously and then turned to mummy and hugged her around the neck. "Mummy, don't be sad. It will be fun, I promise."  
Mummy laughed weakly. "Oh, Soph. I'm crying because I want this too. So much.”

"When are they coming?" Sophie asked. 

"We'll let you know, babe." Mummy said, a little brighter, winking at Sophie. 

"Mummy don't be sad." Sophie said again, reaching her little hands out and wiping the tears from her mother's cheeks. She'd stopped crying now, much to Sophie's relief.   
"Remember if you lose a game you can always try again next time.” Sophie just figured it had to be something like that. 

Mummy blinked really fast to keep more tears from falling. She pulled Sophie into her arms quick and squeezed her tight as she nodded her head.   
“I love you baby girl.” She whispered, kissing Sophie’s forehead.


	3. Chapter 3

Mummy and daddy were in the room next door. Sophie could hear their voices but couldn’t quite make out what they were saying. Then, she heard mummy laughing and Sophie perked up.  
She was bored of playing with her dollies and decided to go see what was so funny. 

She peeked her head in the door way to see mummy sitting on the new dresser they’d bought just a few days ago, and daddy standing on a small ladder, reaching up to put the finishing touches on the paint along the border of the wall they’d been working on for the past week. This was to be the new baby’s room, mummy had told Sophie. 

Mummy wore a her hair in a bun on top of her head, the way she did up Sophie’s hair when it was hot or they were running late. Mummy wore a headband in her hair today; blue and white. She looked very pretty. She had on a jean dress that covered her belly, where the baby was living, and her feet were bare.   
Daddy wore jeans and a white t-shirt spattered with little specks of yellow paint.   
They’d been busy painting the walls a pale yellow. Sophie liked the colour. It was warm and comforting. She thought the new baby would be very happy here. 

Daddy was a bit wobbly on the ladder as he reached for the ceiling with the small paintbrush. 

“Scott please, you’re not supposed to use the top step.” Mummy warned. “It says so right on the ladder.” She pointed at it, even though daddy was turned so he couldn’t see her.

“You always were stickler for the rules, eh, Tess? Such a goodie-two-shoes.” He reached a bit further and wobbled again. 

“Scott, I’m serious.” Mummy said, but just as she’d finished saying the words, daddy fell forward, hitting the wall hard, his face turning so that his cheek and left hand were squished against it. 

“Fuck!” He yelled. 

Sophie slapped both hands over her mouth, her eyes growing wide. Her parents were too distracted to hear her little giggle. That was a bad word. 

“Oh!” Mummy had gasped, hopping down from the dresser. She rushed toward daddy, but she wasn’t as quick as she usually was thanks to her belly. She was growing a baby in there! It was something Sophie had a hard time conceptualising. How in the world did a baby get in there?

“Oh, Scott.” Mummy placed her hand on daddy’s back and when daddy pulled away from the wall, his right cheek and hand were covered in wet yellow paint.   
Mummy stared at him for a moment before she burst into a fit of giggles, covering her mouth with her hands just as Sophie had. 

“Oh yeah.” Daddy said, and for a minute Sophie thought he was angry. “Yeah, laugh it up, laugh it up. Very funny.”

“No, I’m sorry.” Mummy said shaking her head. “It’s not. It’s not funny. Oh, Scott are you ok?” 

“Hm, you know what would help?” Daddy has a funny look on his face.

“What’s that?” Mummy asked in the same voice she used when Sophie was hurt. That voice always made Sophie feel better. 

“A kiss from my beautiful girl.” Daddy beamed and lunged for mummy who shrieked, and retreated all the way to the back wall where daddy pressed himself against her and held her face in his hands, getting the paint on his hand all over her cheek. 

“Scott!” She yelped and giggled, trying to squirm away.   
Daddy kissed her and then mummy was still because she was kissing him back.

When daddy and mummy stopped kissing, daddy laughed. “That’s a great color on you, T.” He said, and mummy rolled her eyes. 

“I’ve always told you there are rules for a reason.” She said. 

“Mh.” Daddy hummed, bending down to pick up a cloth from the ground to wipe off mummy’s face. 

“And I am not a goody-two-shoes.” Mummy added, just as daddy had finished wiping the paint off her cheeks. 

“Oh no?” He asked, cocking his head. “Maybe you can show me just how much of a rule breaker you are then.”   
Daddy’s hands were on mummy’s bum, and Sophie thought that was silly. Plus, he still had paint on his face!

Mummy giggled as daddy kissed her neck. “Maybe a little later, Mr. bad boy. We’ve got an audience.” She said softly, patting his shoulder and nodding toward the doorway where Sophie was peeking in. 

Sophie smiled at her mummy and daddy, and when she saw how much paint was still on daddy’s face she laughed. 

“Oh, not you too!” Daddy exclaimed, swooping in and lifting her into his arms. “I think I might need a kiss from my other beautiful girl now!”

“Ahh! Mummy!!” Sophie shrieked as daddy pretended to munch on her face like he did when they were playing monster. 

“Don’t you dare get paint on my baby’s face!” Mummy shouted playfully at daddy, plucking Sophie from his arms.   
Sophie was giggling so hard her sides hurt, which made mummy and daddy laugh right along with her.


	4. Chapter 4

When mummy and daddy first brought baby Annie home, Sophie wasn’t really a fan of her. She cried a lot and she was all wrinkly and kind of boring because she mostly just slept all the time. And she made mummy and daddy really tired too.

One afternoon when Sophie was supposed to be taking a nap, she wandered out into the hall and by mummy and daddy’s room to see if they were doing anything fun. They weren’t. They were in bed too, and mummy was holding baby Annie and daddy was next to her with his arm around her and his other hand on baby Annie’s foot.

“How many times are you going to count her toes?” Mummy says, looking up at daddy, who grins.

“I just can’t get over how perfect she is.” He says.

Mummy smiles softly and nods. “Yeah.” She sighs, and looks back at baby Annie.

Daddy kisses mummy on the head. “Another job well done.” He tells her.

Mummy laughs, but then looks serious. “Do you think Soph’s ok?”

_That’s me!_ Sophie thinks jovially.

“Yeah, honey. She’s ok.” Daddy tries to reassure her, rubbing her arm.

“It’s just that… I’m just scared that she’s not going to get the attention she needs or…” Mummy shakes her head and can’t talk anymore and daddy pulls her against him and kisses her head again and tells her not to worry.

Sophie crosses her arms. _She wouldn’t particularly mind more attention, daddy_ , Sophie thinks.

“Tess, you’ve been worrying nonstop since we got home from the hospital.” He says into mummy’s hair. “It’s ok, baby. Everything’s good right now, right?”

Mummy nods and daddy pulls back and holds her face still so he can kiss her lips and then press his forehead against hers. “We’re doing everything right.” He says. “We’re ok.” Mummy nods again.

Sophie feels badly that mummy is upset and wants to make her feel better too, so she pushes the door open and steps into the room.

“Oh, babygirl.” Mummy says, half laughing. Sophie’s not good at taking naps and mummy finds it kind of funny. Sophie’s glad mummy’s ok.

Sophie walks up to mummy’s side of the bed and peers into her arms at baby Annie.

“d’you want to hold your baby sister?” Mummy asks. 

Sophie nods and climbs up on the bed.

“Easy, kiddo.” Daddy says, lifting her onto his lap before she can snuggle into mummy’s arms like baby Annie. “Gentle with mummy and Annie, remember?”

“Sowwy, mumma.” Sophie says.

“Oh, sweetheart.” Mummy says. She sounds sad again. “No, don’t be sorry.”

She’s about to place baby Annie into Sophie’s hands when baby Annie wakes up and starts crying very loudly!  Sophie covers her ears.  Mummy holds baby Annie close and tries to calm her down, but it won’t work.

“I think she’s hungry.” Mummy says to daddy, who nods.

Sophie thinks baby Annie’s overreacting if all she wants is food. Sometimes Sophie gets hungry too but she doesn’t _scream_ about it.

“Come on, kiddo, let’s give mummy and Annie a minute.” Daddy says, scooping Sophie up and carrying her from the room.  Daddy takes Sophie to the kitchen for their own snack and sets her on the counter while he starts cutting up an apple. Sophie likes apples.

“Daddy?” Sophie asks.

“Yep?”

“Do baby Annie like apples too?”

Daddy sort of chuckles. “Nah, not yet, kiddo. She’s to little to eat food like us.”

Sophie’s eyes get wide. No wonder baby Annie is so hungry! “Daddy! What do she eat?”

Daddy sees how alarmed Sophie is and scoops her up into his arms, carrying the plate of apples in the other hand.

“Oh, honey, babies don’t eat food like us, they eat milk until they’re old enough.” Daddy sits down on Sophie’s bed and sets the plate beside them. Mummy and daddy’s room is just across the hall so Sophie knows that baby Annie isn’t crying anymore, but she’s still worried.

“We get milk!” Sophie hops off of the bed and pulls daddy’s hand. They have to get baby Annie milk, and milk is in the _kitchen._ They were just there! Did daddy forget?

“No, no, Soph, come here, it’s ok.” Daddy lifts Sophie back up into his lap. Normally Sophie likes cuddling with daddy but this is _important business._ And daddy doesn’t seem to be taking it seriously.

“Soph, babies get their food from their mummies.” Daddy says, and Sophie’s face contorts in confusion and fear.

“ANNIE EAT MUMMA?!!” She shrieks in horror and pushes herself out of daddy’s arms.

“Scott!” Mummy must have heard Sophie. She sounds annoyed from the other room. Sophie rushes to the sound of mummy’s voice and daddy follows closely behind.

“That’s not what I said!” He’s saying to mummy from the doorway. Sophie races over to mummy who looks ok, but baby Annie _does_ look like she’s biting mummy.

Sophie reaches out for mummy but her arms are full, and Sophie can’t help the way her eyes fill with tears. She’s scared mummy’s going to get hurt.

“No, no, lovie, shh. It’s ok.” Mummy’s stroking Sophie’s hair and it makes Sophie feel a bit better. “Baby Annie’s not going to _eat_ me. Mummy explains, and then looks up and shakes her head at daddy, who bites his lip and looks back apologetically. “Not what I said.” He mumbles sheepishly.

“Mummy’s bodies make milk for babies and lots of babies get their food that way.” Mummy tells Sophie. “Look, honey, she’s not hurting me, I promise.”

Sophie watches baby Annie for a moment. She’s making little suction-y sounds. It’s kind of funny.

“You got your food the same way when you were a baby.” Mummy says, still stroking Sophie’s hair. Sophie’s eyes get big and wide and mummy laughs. “It’s pretty silly to think about, huh?”

Sophie nods and giggles a little.  Baby Annie lets go of mummy and looks up at Sophie, who waves at her little sister. Mummy looks very happy.

“Come here, honey.” Mummy says to Sophie, who (carefully!) climbs up onto the bed and sits beside mummy.

Mummy fixes her shirt and places baby Annie into Sophie’s arms, holding Sophie’s hands in place. “It’s very important to hold her head up.” She tells Sophie, “because she can’t do that on her own just yet.”

Sophie’s enthralled. She can’t believe that she was once this teeny-tiny!

“Daddy, look!” Sophie says, proud that she’s holding baby Annie without making her cry.

Daddy’s smiling really big! “Good job, baby.” He says. “You’re such a good big sister.”

Sophie beams. She holds baby Annie for a while before mummy takes her back and looks up at daddy and says, “Baby, will you-" But daddy knew what she was going to ask and he’s already stepped forward with his arms outstretched.

“Yeah.” He says, and takes baby Annie from mummy, drapes a towel over his shoulder, and begins patting her back.

Sophie climbs into mummy’s arms now and rests her cheek against mummy’s warm chest. “What daddy do?” She asks.

“After babies eat they have to _buuuurp_ out all the air they accidentally swallowed.” Mummy says in her funny voice and Sophie giggles. _Burp_! That’s silly.

Sophie and mummy cuddle and mummy answers all of Sophie’s questions about babies while daddy walks around the room with baby Annie, trying to burp her. Sophie keeps her ears open wide because she wants to hear the burp!

But when baby Annie burps it’s way grosser than Sophie thought because she spits up and gets yucky stuff all over daddy’s shirt.  Mummy can’t help laughing and it makes Sophie laugh too. Daddy just sighs.

“Everything’s good now, right, Scott?” Mummy says through her laughter, repeating daddy’s words from earlier.

Daddy gives her a weak smile and a thumbs up before heading to the bathroom to clean up.  Mummy and Sophie laugh and laugh and when daddy comes back with baby Annie and a different shirt on, they all snuggle together.

Baby Annie’s not so bad after all, Sophie thinks.


	5. Chapter 5

“Hey, babe, have you seen my watch?” Daddy shouts toward the bathroom. Annie giggles and Sophie clasps a hand over her mouth. “Shh.” She whispers to her little sister. Annie nods but Sophie waits another moment before uncovering her mouth. Annie’s laugh is even louder than mummy’s and it would surely blow their cover.

“Check the top drawer!” Mummy shouts back to daddy. 

Sophie and Annie lay flat on their tummies and can see daddy rooting around in the top drawer of his dresser. 

“I don’t see it!” He shouts back after a while, but mummy has the hairdryer on so she doesn’t hear him.

Sophie and Annie are on a mission. Their task is to infiltrate mummy and daddy’s lair and steal Sophie’s iPad back from where mummy and daddy keep it in mummy’s closet when they want Sophie to spend more time reading. 

Sophie likes to read, but she’s already finished all her books! There’s nothing to do now, and she wants to show Annie how to play her farm animal game because she thinks Annie would find it funny. 

Mummy and daddy are going to be away tonight at some fancy party just for grownups and Sophie and Annie will be home with a babysitter.

Sophie gets sad when mummy and daddy aren’t around, but she knows they won’t be gone too long. She tries to tell Annie, but she doesn’t seem to understand.

Annie gets sad, too, when mummy and daddy are away, and she’ll cry sometimes, so Sophie wants to get out ahead of the situation and make Annie happy before she has time to miss mummy and daddy too much.

The closet is right next to daddy’s dresser, so even if they run super fast, they won’t be able to make it without daddy noticing. They have to distract him somehow. 

Sophie chews on her lip. She’d seen mummy do that when she’s thinking and mummy has really good ideas, so Sophie thought doing it might help her think harder.

But just then, the hairdryer shuts off and Sophie turns to Annie and holds her finger over her lips like in school when they want you to be quiet. 

Annie nods. Mummy and daddy tell her to be quiet that way sometimes. Annie isn’t very good at being quiet, but she’s trying her hardest because her big sister has invited her on a _secret mission!_ Annie isn’t totally sure what a _secret mission_ is, or what she’s meant to do, or why, but Sophie seems excited about it and Annie’s just happy to be along for the ride

“Tess? I don’t see it here!” Daddy shouts. 

The girls watch from under the bed as mummy comes out of the bathroom in her blue bathrobe. Her hair and make up are all done and she looks very pretty. 

Daddy’s busy looking at mummy now, but Sophie knows that mummy will see them if they try to run for the closet, so they stay in place and watch. 

Mummy pulls daddy’s watch out of the dresser and hands it to him, rolling her eyes. “Do you even _look_?” She asks him. Daddy smiles as he puts the watch on his wrist. 

“Yes, I _look_.” He says to mummy in kind of a silly voice. He quick reaches out and wraps his arms around her and pulls her really tight to his chest, like when he does bear hugs with Sophie and Annie, and either of the girls could have warned mummy what was going to happen next from their own experience, but they can’t blow their cover by warning mummy to look out for tickles, so they watch mummy squeal as daddy tickles her sides until she can get away, but he chases right after her and follows her into the bathroom where Sophie and Annie can hear her laughing really loud and telling daddy, _“Oh my God, Scott, oh my God please stop! Please!”_

This is their chance!

They didn’t even need to distract daddy, mummy’s really good at it without even trying!

“Let’s go, quick!” Sophie whispers to Annie, who’s trying her hardest to hold in her giggles because the sound of her mummy laughing always makes her laugh, too. But she pulls it together and crawls quickly out from under the bed to follow her big sister into the closet. 

The closet is for mummy’s clothes, and it’s _really_ big. Daddy uses the dresser because he doesn’t have as many clothes, but mummy makes him hang his suits up in here anyway so they don’t get wrinkles. 

On the far wall are all of mummy’s pretty shoes: the ones that are flat like Sophie and Annie’s when they have to get dressed up, the ones she wears when she works out, the ones she wears when it’s raining, the ones she wears when they play outside in the snow, and the ones with the big spiky bottoms that make her look taller. There’s also a pair of ice skates hanging up on the wall by their tied-together shoelaces. They have the fuzzy covers on the bottoms, but Sophie and Annie know not to touch those - _no, no, babies, too sharp,_ mummy says, _don’t touch_. 

Annie’s eyes get really wide when she sees all of mummy’s clothes and she runs over to her dresses and pulls at one.

“No.” Sophie whispers sharply and shakes her head. “Annie, stop!” 

She can hear both mummy and daddy laughing from somewhere now. 

“Get back here!” He says. He’s laughing now, too. 

“Pretty!” Annie says as the dress falls from its hanger. 

It _is_ pretty. It’s green and shiny and it looks very soft. 

“Dress up!” Annie says excitedly, forgetting to be quiet. 

Sophie puts her finger over her lips to remind her sister they need to be quiet. They’re on a _secret mission,_ after all. They’re lucky mummy and daddy are distracting _each other_ now, Sophie thinks.

Sophie shakes her head at her sister. “We need to find my iPad.” She whispers. 

Annie tilts her head. She’s not really sure why they need to do that, but she knows she’s holding a _veeeery pretty_ dress in her hands and she wants to dress up like mummy so maybe she can go with them to the party. 

While Sophie looks around for something, Annie finds the bottom of the dress and crawls into it, popping her head out of the top and finding the arm holes. 

“Pretty.” Annie says to herself, and then turns to the shoes. She’s going to need the ones with the spikys because the party’s only for grown ups, so she needs to look taller. 

Sophie’s rummaging around by daddy’s suits so Annie stumbles over to mummy’s wall of shoes, trying not to trip herself in all the fabric of the dress. She scans the wall and choses one black spiky and one pink spiky. She balances them on the floor and slips her feet into the tops. 

“Pretty!” Annie says, turning and holding her arms out to show Sophie. 

Sophie’s buried somewhere in mummy’s clothes now, but she pops her head out to shush her sister and sees she’s fully dressed in one of mummy’s outfits. She giggles a little. _That looks fun_. Annie’s really good at making things fun. 

Sophie sneaks over toward the door and listens for mummy and daddy, but she can’t really hear much now. They’re not laughing anymore. 

She sticks her head out carefully to peek into the bedroom. There’s mummy’s mirror by the wall near the bed and Sophie can see mummy and daddy in the bathroom in the mirror’s reflection. She can just barely see daddy and mummy leaned up against the sink, kissing. Mummy’s leg is wrapped around daddy’s and his hands are on her hips.

Sophie sticks her tongue out. _Blah._ At least they’re still busy distracting each other. 

“Sophie, pretty.” Sophie turns to see Annie beside her, holding up a red dress for her.

Sophie smiles and takes the dress, climbing into it and then tripping to the shoe wall to pick out a pair of spikys. She notices Annie’s chosen two different colour shoes and laughs as she takes a pair of green spikys off the wall. She’ll look like _Christmas_! 

She slips them on her feet just as they hear mummy and daddy’s voices get louder. 

“You messed with my makeup, Moir.” They hear mummy say, but she sounds very happy about it. 

“Yeah, well, you weren’t exactly kind to my hair.”

“You started it.” Mummy says back, and Sophie giggles. They sound like Sophie and Annie when they fight except they’re not angry. 

“I’ll finish it, too, if you want.” They hear daddy say more softly. 

“Mh.” Mummy makes a soft sound that Sophie sticks her tongue out at again because she knows it’s a kiss. “Tonight, please?” Mummy says. 

“You got it, kiddo.” Sophie hears daddy say very quietly and then hears them kiss again. Annie’s been oblivious to the whole thing. She’s slipped a pair of mummy’s soft black gloves on and is admiring herself in the mirror on the wall. Sophie is a little perplexed with the interaction, _were they scheduling a fight?_ But she doesn’t have much time to dwell on it because the next thing she hears is mummy asking, “Babe, will you check on the kids?”

Both sisters turn to each other, eyes wide. _Uh oh._

They can hear daddy’s feet thumping down the hall toward the stairs. They’re supposed to be watching a tv show in the living room and finishing their Mac and cheese and _all_ of their broccoli. 

Sophie’s about to peek out to see if there’s time to escape when the closet door swings open and mummy gasps and jumps about a foot into the air. 

“Oh, Gosh.” Mummy breathes out, her hand over her chest. 

Oops. They hadn’t meant to scare her. 

“Pretty, mumma, look!” Annie sings, holding her arms out so mummy can see her.  
“Tess!” They hear daddy shout as he thumps back up the stairs. 

Mummy turns toward the door. “It’s ok, they’re in here!” She shouts back to him. 

Sophie’s scared mummy will be mad, but she’s smiling a little and then she kneels down on the floor. “Oh, you do look pretty, baby.” She says, smoothing Annie’s dirty blonde hair back. Annie bounces up and down, excited that mummy likes her outfit. “And _you_ look so grown up, love.” She says to Sophie, who beams at the compliment. 

Then, daddy’s in the door of the closet, and he doesn’t look as happy. “You guys scared me.” He says.  
“We scare mumma too.” Annie states matter-of-factly. 

Mummy looks up at him from where she’s kneeling and rubs the back of his leg. 

Daddy doesn’t look so mad anymore.

“Mumma I coming to party, too!” Annie says, her arms stretched up. 

“Oh, come here, sweet girl.” Mummy says, pulling Annie into a hug and rocking her. She reaches out and cups Sophie’s chin. 

“I wish wish _wish_ you two could come with daddy and I tonight. But it’s going to be very, very boring and like we said before, it’s a party just for grown ups. Remember?” 

Annie pulls back from mummy and Sophie can tell she’s very sad. She’s probably going to cry, even. 

“Oh, baby.” Mummy says quietly, stroking Annie’s fine hair and kissing her forehead. “Please don’t be sad. You’re going to have lots of fun with Marie, and I promise daddy and I will be back when you wake up in the morning.”

“That’s right, kiddo. Soph knows the drill, eh?” He winks at Sophie who stands taller. She’s _experienced._

“I a grown up, mumma, see?” Annie says.

“What!?” Daddy says alarmed, “I thought you were a princess?” Annie giggles and shakes her head. 

“I’m a princess, daddy!” Sophie says, reaching up for him.

Daddy picks Sophie up and she wraps her arms around his neck.

“Oh good.” He says, kissing Sophie’s cheek. “What would mummy and I do without any princesses?” 

Annie is suddenly very jealous of her sister. “No! I a princess _too_ , dadda!” She kicks her spiky shoes off and mummy helps her out of her dress. 

“Oh, phew!” Daddy says, very relieved. “Thank goodness! Oh, _two_ princesses! I’m so lucky.” He scoops Annie up and balances her on his other hip. 

Sophie giggles and mummy stands up and kisses Annie’s cheeks all over until she’s laughing, and then does the same to Sophie. 

“Mumma princess too!” Annie shrieks in excitement, clapping her little hands together.

“Mumma’s a princess, too, you’re right, kiddo.” Daddy says and leans forward ‘till he can kiss mummy on the lips. 

It’s all very silly and Sophie’s so glad that it’s cheered Annie up so much that she forgets about her iPad completely.

Daddy plays with Sophie and Annie while mummy finishes getting ready and when mummy comes back downstairs she gives Sophie back her iPad and even says that princesses get chocolate ice cream for dessert! 

“Poor Marie.” Daddy mutters under his breath as mummy scoops the ice cream. 

When daddy tries to have some for himself, mummy pulls the carton away from him. “Sorry daddy.” She says, “Only princesses get ice cream.” 

Sophie and Annie laugh and daddy grumbles and mumbles until he has mummy pushed up against the refrigerator and is tickling her again. Sophie and Annie hop down from the table and try to help mummy by tickling daddy, and it works but then he chases Sophie and Annie and tries to tickle them too! 

They do a big loop around the kitchen and run to mummy who lifts them both up - she’s very strong! And they make a deal that daddy gets ice cream if he promises to play princesses with Sophie and Annie the next day.

Sophie and Annie are excited to play with daddy so they practice playing princesses with Marie all night until bedtime (Marie is really good at that game!) And Annie has so much fun that she doesn’t even cry. 

_Mission accomplished._ Sophie smiles. 


End file.
